Embarking on a journey to the land of opportunity was, in the eyes of many immigrants, the most viable step in building a new life of freedom and equality. America had become the signature utopia – a place where one could find acceptance and work, raise a family and achieve success: the American dream. However, soon after immigrants began pouring in, they began to feel America's welcoming doors closing on them. Laws that discriminated against unfavorable ethnicities entering the United States were quickly passed, which fueled resentment among Americans. Whites began to dehumanize unwanted immigrants, capitalizing on their differences to spread prejudice, thereby creating their enemy (Memmi 190). The construction of an enemy, as described by Stein, is evident in response to Hurricane Katrina, depriving Middle Easterners and African Americans of American ideals of equality and opportunity. Balancing the War on Terror and the impact of Hurricane Katrina, America began to become entangled. his fears are on the front line with the fears encountered in his country, depriving innocent foreigners of their citizenship acquired by referring to the past. In her article “Construction of an Enemy,” Eleanor Stein discusses the integration of xenophobia into U.S. national politics (198), which is evident in Dave Eggers' Zeitoun. Following the storm, the military places Zeitoun, a well-respected husband and father, in custody without reasonable suspicion. Zeitoun realizes that “in the minds of some Americans, the very idea of ​​two Syrians driving through New Orleans together after a hurricane seems quite suspicious” (255). Zeitoun is initially reluctant to believe that his government would resort to racial profiling, but fear of...... middle of paper ......ul and valued aspect of American life, basic rights, was the first point of attack against an enemy, as the American government demonstrated after Hurricane Katrina. Even though Zeitoun had been a model American citizen and the emblem of the American dream, America turned against him because of his ethnicity and the past tragedies to which it had linked him. Zeitoun, now transformed into an enemy, was arrested without reason and denied all rights that should be granted upon arrest. Not only were Middle Eastern citizens targeted, but also black and poor citizens. At a time when the country needed to unite and support each other, the government turned against many citizens based on previous suspicions and stereotypes. Not only were these foreigners deprived of their American rights, but they also lost all humane treatment, as they became enemies..